Weed was the victim in a crash that state police say was caused by 31-year-old Paul F. Deckelman. Police said Deckelman was fleeing them in a stolen pick-up truck and speeding on Route 161 when he ran a red light at the intersection with Route 85 and struck Weed's passing truck. Weed's truck rolled onto its roof and into a pond where a state trooper, an unidentified good Samaritan and East Lyme police officers found Weed, unconscious and head under water, and pulled him to safety.